oberly



(No vModel.)

V'H-OBERUL CORSET,

i No. 475,337. i Patented Mayzar, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE..v

VIRGINIA H. OBERLY, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,337, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed October 14, 1889. Renewed October 27, 1891. Serial No. 409,954. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, VIRGINIA H. OBERLY, at present of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to corsets of all forms and patterns that have steels or stays, which are inserted in casings that are a part of the garment, and front fastenings, which are attached to or connected with the front steels or stays thereof.

It is particularly desirable, first, that the front fastenings of a corset of this kind should be attached to or connected with the front steels or stays thereof in such away as to make it possible for the wearer or other person to detach said fastenings or any of them from the garment readily and without tearing, ripping, orcutting any part of the garment; second, that the front steels or stays of a corset of this kind should be inserted in those parts of the garment which envelop them and form their casings in such a way as to make it possible for the wearer or other person to take them from their casings readily without tearing, ripping, or cutting any part of the garment; third, that the front fastenings and the front steels or stays of a corset of this kind should be attached to, be inserted in, or be connected otherwise with the garment in such a way as to make it possible that if said fastenings and steels or stays should be detached from the garment they might be replaced or similar fastenings or steels or stays be put into their places readily and without tearing, ripping, cutting, or sewing any part of the garment, and so that the replaced or substituted fastenings and steels or stays should be held securely and tightly, each one in its place.

The desirability of these suggested improvements in corsets arises out of many considerations. For instance, the front fastenings of corsets now in general use are riveted or eyeleted or are attached otherwise permanently to the front steels thereof, and if it be desired for any reason to removef rom its casing one of said steels, such steel cannot be removed without irst tearing, ripping, or cutting its casing nearly or quite the entire length of the steel. And unless the front fastenings and the-front steels of the corset thus made are removed from it by first tearing, ripping, or cutting the casing of the front steels or stays, when it is washed it must be washed with the front fastenings and the front steels in it, thus causing the said fastenings and steels to rust and to discolor and injure the corset fabric. Accordingly, by my invention I provide a corset that possesses among other desirable features those stated in the paragraphs herein preceding this, numbered first, second, third -that is to say, by my invention I provide a corset from which, without tearing, ripping, or cutting any part thereof, the front fasteningsandthefrontsteelsmayberemoved,and to which, without sewing any part thereof, they may be restored. For instance, should a front steel of my improved corset break, the broken parts of thesteel may be taken out in a moment and may be replaced in a moment by another similar steel, and all this may be done without removing any of the front fastenings and without tearing, ripping, cutting, or sewing any part of the garment; or, if it be observed that a front steel is moist with perspiration, and therefore liable to become rusted, such steel may be removed from its casing without the necessity of first tearing, ripping, or cutting the corset, and having been dried and cleaned may be returned to its casing and be secured therein without any sewing; or, if it be desirable that the corset be washed, before washing it the front fastenings and the front steels may be removed from it in a moment, and this may be done without tearing, ripping, or cutting it, and after it has been washed the said fastenings and steels may be put back into their places precisely as they were before the corset was washed, and this may be done without sewing any part of it. Therefore a person may wear one of my improved corsets and easily keep it clean and in good repair as long as the corset fabric will last.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front view of a portion of my improved corset. Fig. 2 is a view of a suitable blank from which a corset-clasp can be made. Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 is a back View of a suitable clasp or fastening. Fig. 5 shows one plain front steel or stay to be used without any fastening, proj eetion, or attachment that IOO ' could obstruct its removal from its casing.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the clasp or fastening, through the steels, and through the casings, those parts of the corset fabric which inelose the steels.

Referring to the letters on the drawings, A indicates an ordinary corset-body.

B B' indicate front corset-steels.

E E indicate those parts of the corset fabric which envelop the front steels and form their casings.

F I1" indicate each a row of stitches along the inside edge of each of the casings E E.

G G indicate slits in the corset fabric at the inside edges of the casings E E'.

H indicates clasps to be fastened securely to the steel B on the outside of its casing E in the manner described in the paragraphs (a) (b) here immediately following, to wit:

(a) I indicates the ends of the clasps H, which are to be put through the slits Gat the inside edge of the steel B and then are to be bent, so as to clamp the under side of said steel outside of its casing E. These ends must be of brass or other pliable metal and be thin enough to be pliable.

(b) J indicates hooks, one on each of the clasps H, which hooks are to be hooked around the outside edge of the steel B on the outside of its easing E. K indicates hooks, one on cach of the clasps H, which hooks are to be fastened to the steel B' by being passed through openings in the casing E and hooked over the inside edge of the steel B. L L indieate slits at the tops of the casings E E.

To remove the clasps I-I from the steel B and its casing E, the ends I of the clasps are bent back from the under side of the steel B and are drawn out of the slits G; but this is only one of the ways of fastening and removing clasps that may be used. For instance, the ends I of the clasps I'I may be made thicker and formed into permanent hooks, which may be passed through the slits G at the inside edge of the steel B and be hooked around the steel B outside of its casing E; or, instead of the ends I and the hooks K being used, pinhooks may be used as a part of or by bein g attached to both ends of the clasps I-I, and then the corset may be fastened byputting the pinhooks of either end of each of the clasps H through the corset fabric at the inside edge of either of the steels B B and around its inside edge in such a way as to make them hook said steels, and the slits G G may be dispensed with. These are, however, only immaterial matters of detail, and therefore are not shown. The steels B B maybe removed from their casings E E by being drawn out of them through the slits L L but of course the steels might be removed by being drawn out of slits, like the slits LL', made at the lower ends of the casings E.

Other forms of clasps or other fastenings and differently-shaped steels might be employed, and other matters of detail might be varied also, without any departure from the substance of my invention. Therefore I do not limit myself to the details shown.

Generally stated, the advantages of my invention are the use, in connection with a corsetbody, of ordinary corset steels and of clasps, hooks, or other devices employed as front corset fasteners, first, so that such clasps or other fastenings may be fastened to one of the front steels, on the outside of the casing thereof, in such a way as to make it possible for the wearer or other person at will, readily and immediately, without tearing, ripping, or cutting any part of the garment, to detach and remove said clasps or other fastenings from the front steels and the casings thereof; second, so that immediately and readily, without tearing, ripping, or cutting any part of the corset and without the necessity of detaching from them the clasps or other fastenings or of opening their casings at the time of their removal therefrom, the front steels may be taken out of their casings and be detached from the corset; third, so that the clasps or other fastenings and the steels having been removed from the corset, the same or similar clasps or other fastenings and steels may be returned cach to its place in the corset at will, readily and immediately, without tearing, ripping, cutting, or sewing any part of the garment, and, fourth, so that either the steels or the fastenings, or both, may be immediately removed and replaced at will with perfect convenience, each without affecting the other. For replacing the steels the casings, being within the clasps, serve as guides to direct their ends through the clasps into place within the clasps.

I claim- The combination, with a corset-body having front casings E E', of a pair of front fastening steels or stays fitting said casin gs and a series of fastenings, each removable and replaceable independently and so arranged as to fasten the corset in front by each clasping around the inside edge of each of said steels or stays outside of said casings, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

VIRGINIA H. OBERLY.

Vitnesses:

JOHN I-I. OBERLY, MARCUS S. HOPKINS. 

